No Longer Alone
by lovingvamp346
Summary: Michelle Williams has a problem. She can't talk to men to save her life. When she is offered to work in the same place her soulmates live, will she fumble and fail? Or will the men help her to overcome her fear? Soulmate AU. {James "Bucky" Barnes/OC/Steve Rogers} Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

_**Hey guys! So I decided to try a soulmate story for Captain America. If you currently read my other story, "The Soldiers Girl" it will continue to update as usual. If you don't, go check it out! Leave a comment below to let me know if you like my story or if you have any comments. If you want a spoiler for the story or if you want to ask me questions, feel free to PM me. Enjoy!**_

 **Chapter 1: The First Day**

The alarm clock blared loudly into the quiet apartment. A hand shot out and hit the offending machine with enough force it went flying off the side table. From the mound of pillows and blankets, a soft groan of protest could be heard. The blankets shifted before the form inside the cocoon fell back asleep. A few minutes of silence enveloped the bedroom before bells sounded and a cat jumped up on the forms head. A second groan, this one of annoyance, was heard. The cat, however, wasn't silenced as easy as the alarm. She batted the forms head until a pair of blurry eyes poked out and narrowed at her. Smug that she had successfully woken her mistress, the cat head-butted the exposed forehead. A snort of amusement was muffled and then the cat landed on the ground as her mistress rose for the morning. Following her to the bathroom, she waited patiently as the woman showered, brushed her teeth and used the facilities.

Once finished, the cat led her over to her food bowl where food magically would appear. The woman petted her head softly and said something about her being a pretty girl before walking over to the kitchen and pouring food into the monsters bowl. A clicking of nails on the hardwood floor sounded and the large golden monster happily licked the woman. The cat ignored the sounds of cooing at the monster while eating. The woman walked into her bedroom and began dressing. A white short-sleeved collared blouse paired with grey pinstriped dress pants and a grey sweater. Simple pearl earrings were added with black heels and a pearl hair comb held half of the woman's long curly brown hair back from her face. She finished the look with simple makeup and grabbed her purse and keys. Walking back into the main room, she petted the now full cat and dog before leaving. As she walked to her car, she took in the surrounding environment. It was a perfect day to start her new job. As she walked to the nearby metro entrance, one hand unconsciously rubbed her soulmate marks that were spread across her side.

Thirty minutes later, she arrived at the Avengers tower. Taking a deep breath, she walked in and headed to the front desk. The woman sitting there smiled up at her and turned to face her. "Good Morning! How can I help you today?" Pulling out her ID, the woman smiled back. "Good Morning. I am starting my new job here today and was told to ask for Natasha Romanoff. Could you please tell her Michelle Williams is here?" At the mention of her name, the woman brightened significantly and reached for the phone. She spoke into it for a minute before hanging up and turning back to Michelle. "She will be down in a moment. Please take a seat and welcome to the Avengers!" Taking a seat near the double doors, Michelle tried to calm her racing heart.

When Tony Stark and Natasha Romanoff had approached her two weeks ago, she hadn't really thought it was to offer her a job. Imagine her surprise when they had offered her not only a job, but an apartment inside the tower. At the time she hadn't felt comfortable with living in the tower, so she had declined the apartment, however, she had taken the job offer. Her previous job had been horrible. From a boss who hated women, below minimum wage pay, to a co-worker who constantly broke things and blamed her for it, she was ready to toss in the towel. The offer had been amazing timing and she happily put in her notice at work that day. The only reservation she had with working here was her soulmates lived in the building. It was part of the reason she had declined the onsite apartment. She wasn't really sure how she felt about meeting her soulmates, let alone attempting to live one floor below them.

The double doors opened and Natasha walked out. Michelle stood as the spy approached and smoothed out her shirt. Michelle smiled and took the offered hand, noticing the grip was firm. "Welcome to the Avengers Tower. We are all excited to have you here. If you will follow me, we will get you entered into the security systems and off to where you will be working." Natasha led Michelle through the double doors and down a hallway. They reached the security office where she was introduced to Happy, the head of Security, as well as a few other officers. They took her fingerprints, personal information and snapped a picture. An hour later both women left the room with Michelle's new keycard in hand. As they rode the elevator up to the 20th floor, Michelle answered all the questions Natasha fired off at her. Satisfied with her answers, Natasha relaxed a bit and led her to a set of double doors and walked inside.

"Here we are. It has a fully functioning kitchen, bathroom, shower, and office space. A bedroom is over there in case you stay too late and need to crash. The office is the door to the left. It has all the details of your new job, as well as a brand new computer, tablet, and company cell phone. The door across the hall is the filing rooms. Only you have clearance and need to personally escort someone inside. A list of people with access is located on your computer. If you need anything, feel free to ask. Stark has made it clear that whatever you want, you get. Any questions?" Michelle looked around the large rooms. "Is there a reason my office is located in the apartment Mr. Stark tried to offer me? Not that I am complaining, but it seems a little strange."

Nat chuckled and hopped onto the kitchen counter. "The apartment goes with the job. Someone needs to be across the hall from the records at all times, so Stark made this into an apartment. The previous owner of this job lived here full time, but recently got promoted. The job is basically keeping up on the records, both paper and electronically and fulfilling requests for information, but they pay is really good and add a free apartment, it's quite a steal. However, we won't make you move in until you are comfortable with it. A guard will be posted here during the night until that time comes. I understand this is all very new and sudden, but we want you to know that we are really happy to have you here. In fact, there are two men here who have been bouncing off the walls since you accepted the job." Nat said with a soft smirk. Michelle felt a blush creep up her skin and again unconsciously rubbed her soul marks. Her eyes went to the ceiling as if she could find them. A soft chuckle from the spy had her blush increase and she coughed awkwardly.

"Wait, did you say the apartment here is free? No charges at all?" The red-headed spy nodded and Michelle looked around the large apartment. She could barely afford her place now and it wasn't this big. She wondered if she made the right choice in declining the apartment, but had two months to decide if she was going to move in or not before her current apartment contract expired and she had to either renew or find another place. "What about pets? I have a dog and cat. If I did move in, would they be welcome? I can pay a monthly fee for them to live here if needed." Nat smiled and hopped off the counter.

"You can bring your pets here whenever you want. They are always welcome. I know of a blonde super solider who would love to play with the dog and walk it. Actually, every male member would love the dog, and all the females would love to spoil the cat. As for the fee, that would need to be Starks decision, but I can guess he will refuse. He will just make you buy him drinks at a local bar once in a while I'm guessing. Any other questions?" The spy said with an easy smile. Michelle thought for a moment but the job was pretty straight forward. She shook her head no and smiled at the redhead. After a few minutes of discussing security measures, Natasha left and Michelle went into the office. It was huge with large windows lining one wall, a large rosewood desk in front of them. A large plushy chair sat behind the desk. Filing cabinets lined the right wall and bookshelves encased the left wall. Boxes full of files were stacked against the windows in the back. It would take her weeks to get through them all. She sat down behind the desk with a happy sigh. She could get used to this.

The day passed quicker than Michelle had anticipated. At random points of the day, people would come in and introduce themselves to her. At noon, Clint Barton and Sam Wilson had dragged her out of the office to have lunch at a nearby restaurant and spent the hour interrogating her. Around 4 in the afternoon, Mr. Stark and Dr. Banner walked in and chatted with her. Stark had been playfully trying to get her to show him her soulmate marks while Banner had asked about her family. She chuckled as she answered all questions, seeing how protective they were. Currently she was working at her desk, finishing up a stack of files to be entered online when she glanced at the clock. It was 7 pm, way past her work time. Michelle groaned and looked across the room to the open bedroom door and the very inviting bed.

Shaking her head, she saved her work, locked up all the files and gathered her purse before heading out of the apartment. Standing beside the door to the filing rooms was a guard who looked at her as she emerged. She waved goodbye before heading to the elevator. The doors opened and inside where two large men dressed for a workout. She froze as she looked at them, unable to move or speak as they stared back at her. Her gaze traveled to the brunette's metal arm and then to the blondes crossed arms. They were here and were real. Not figments of her imagination. The names on her skin started to tingle as they had a staring match. Finally, she stepped inside and faced the front of the elevator, painfully aware of how close they were. She hit the main level button and the elevator began to descend. Behind her, the men were having a conversation with their eyes, trying to figure out what they should do. They were about to talk to her when the doors opened to the gym and she stepped aside for them, looking anywhere but at them. She could feel a panic attack form in her chest when they didn't leave the elevator. A finger caught her chin and pulled her head towards them, and her hazel eyes met baby blues that were full of kindness.

"Hi…."

 _ **A/N: Please review! The next chapter will have Steve and Bucky in it more as they get used to each other.**_


	2. Late Walks and Early Talks

Chapter 2: Late walks and Early Talks

"Hi…."

Steve said softly as he held her eyes with his own. Her face had fear and panic on it as if she was in an elevator with her worst nightmare.

He watched as she took a deep soothing breath and looked from his eyes to Bucky's and back.

"Hi back" She whispered softly. "Is this your floor?"

He and Bucky looked at the gym, where they had planned to go and back to her. Steve went to answer but Bucky spoke up first.

"Not anymore. Where are you off to this late?" She gulped and looked at Bucky as he restarted the elevator. "Home. I live outside of the tower."

"Wait, you do? I thought you moved into the apartment that was offered" Steve said with a frown.

"I turned it down. I didn't know it was free and I didn't want to live so close to… well, I had reasons that seem stupid now. Typical me, do first, think later" She said with a scoff. "I need to feed my pets and sleep. It's been a long first day.

The elevator dinged open and she released herself from Steve's grip and walked towards the front door. Both he and Bucky followed.

"Why are you two following?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

Steve opened the door for her as Bucky eased her out the door. "We find out our soulmate is about to walk home alone in New York late at night and you're asking why we are following? Doll, we are going to see you safely home. There is no way we would make you walk alone. It's dangerous."

She muttered something under her breath that neither quite caught but didn't argue. She just took off down the street leaving both hurrying to catch up to her.

The walk was a bit long, but none of them complained. After a while, they reached an old looking building with a Victorian theme.

"This is me. Thank you for walking with me. I was kind of nervous about walking alone" She said as she turned to face them.

"It was our pleasure Doll." Steve said with a warm smile as Bucky kissed her cheek. "Wouldn't want anything to happen to ya Doll."

She blushed a bright red and walked up to the building. Both men watched as she disappeared inside.

"She isn't staying here Steve. We need to convince her to move into the tower where it's safe. I don't want her walking home alone each night." Steve stood there nodding in agreement.

 _The Next Day_

Michelle was back in the office, but was taking time to unpack the bag she had brought over. This morning, as she was getting ready, Steve and Bucky had shown up with coffee and breakfast.

They told her their plans to drive her and a bag of belongings into work this morning and their hope that she could slowly move into the apartment.

Tony had apparently even offered to pay her last bit of rent to sweeten the pot. He also informed the soldiers to tell her she wasn't allowed to work until she had moved somewhat into the apartment.

So here she was, unpacking her bag of clothing while Steve and Bucky played with Lily, her Golden Retriever. Athena, her cat, was curled up on her new plushy bed, happily sleeping.

Michelle groaned softly as she unpacked. Her plan to avoid them at all costs crashed and burned in one day. She had the worst luck with men. It was only a matter of time before they left her as well, realizing what a screw-up she was.

She hung up the last shirt in the closet and sat on the bed beside Athena. For most of her life, all she had known was that she was different. Having two soulmates instead of the standard one and the gift she'd had since birth guaranteed that she would be an outsider. Only her parents and her brother thought differently in their small town. They were always supportive of her, even if they didn't understand her.

She was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't hear Bucky walk up to her. It wasn't until he laid his hand on her shoulder that she jerked out of her thoughts.

"You ok doll?" he asked as he knelt down to be at eye level with her.

"I'm fine. Just a bit much in one day is all." Bucky looked her over, not really believing her, but nodding all the same.

"I'd like to stay here with you today if you don't mind. Steve has to go with Nat and Tony to some meeting and he doesn't want me to be alone."

Michelle looked at Bucky and nodded softly. "Ok, sure. I'll be working but I don't mind if you stay. Honestly, it would be nice to have someone else in the apartment besides just me. Yesterday was a bit daunting."

"Daunting? How so?"

"Well, first day in a tower full of superheroes that saves the world. A new apartment free of charge, a large filing room filled with classified material that I am in charge of and to top it off, my soulmates who I was actively hoping to avoid, find me my first night." she said before freezing. She could feel the tension coming off Bucky as he stood.

"You were avoiding us? Why?" He said in a more demanding tone than he had planned. She shrank back slightly.

"Because I'm terrified." She said softly looking at the ground. "I don't want to be hurt anymore and men always hurt me. I didn't want to find you because I didn't want to get hurt."

"We would never hurt you Doll…."

 _A/N:_

 _Hey everyone! Sorry for the late update, going through some personal issues. I don't really have a set schedule, but I will try to update more often. Thanks for being awesome!_

 _To those who reviewed, thank you! I love hearing from my readers! Message me if you have any ideas for this story that you would like to see happen and I'll try to integrate them in! Always love feedback!_

 _-Shell_


	3. Moving Day

_Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel_

 _Chapter 3: Moving in_

A few days passed from the talk Michelle and Bucky had. She had gotten to know both of them a bit more. Bucky was the silent strong type, the one who you didn't always see, but knew was there. She felt protected with him nearby. Steve wasn't around much, but would make sure to send her daily messages to tell her he loved her or to boost her confidence. She felt courageous around him. With both, she felt complete. Safe. Loved.

So it was no surprise that when she decided to move permanently into the apartment, Bucky jumped to help. Steve was on assignment trying to find a man called Rumlow who was apart of Hydra. Michelle had learned all about them from Steve since Bucky didn't talk about them at all. She could understand why, being tortured by animals who want to use your body but destroy your mind was horrendous. She made sure to hug Bucky more often after learning that.

She looked up from the kitchen counter in her old apartment at a knock on the door. The landlord was standing there with a large creepy grin on his face.

"So, leaving us for greener pastures huh? You sure I cant convince you to stay a bit longer?"

"Sorry Mr. Gleeze, but its time to move on. New job, new apartment, new me." She said with a small smile, trying to get him out as soon as possible. She didn't know why, but she always felt uncomfortable around him. He was always trying to hint that she could get money off her rent by doing him a favor. He stepped towards her and she took a step back, then Bucky was suddenly in front of her.

"Leave her alone." Bucky growled softly, his intimidating presence left no room for misinterpretation.

"Whoa! Where did you come from? Jeez boy, your like a ninja." Bucky took a step forward, driving Mr. Gleeze back. "Ok ok! I get the hint. She's taken." He left and Bucky looked at michelle who was looking at the ground.

"Thank you Bucky. Let's get back to packing so we can leave here sooner" she turned back to pack again when suddenly a large solid body turned her around and cornered her against the counter. She peered up into the ice blue eyes with confusion. "Bucky?"

"Mine." He said softly before kissing her. She was shocked at first but then the sensations exploded and she forgot to care. The only thing that mattered was how amazing kissing him was. Holding her close, he lifted her so that her butt rested on the counter. He stepped between her legs to kiss her more deeply. A soft moan escaped her lips as her hands went into his hair. Slowly, and reluctantly, he pulled back and rested his forehead against hers.

She kept her eyes closed for a second to catch her breath before opening them to look at him. As far as a first kiss goes, she had to say it beat any kiss she had ever had before. Neither said anything. Neither needed to. It was perfect. A sudden kiss that showed a beautiful future for them. And even the bumps and hard times would be worth it. Both nodded and went back to work, the atmosphere peaceful and comforting now.

Finally everything was packed and in the truck. Michelle finalized things with the landlord and quickly joined Bucky in the cab of the truck. They drove back to the tower and began unloading the truck putting it on the elevator to be taken to her floor.

Soon all the boxes were in her place. Her cat and dog were in their cages in the bedroom so they didn't freak out as she and Bucky moved back and forth from doing various tasks. Finally after a long day, both collapsed on the couch. They fell asleep soon after, exhausted from the day but happy to be done.

As they slept, Michelle dreamed of a train and a snowy mountain side.

Bucky dreamed of fire…

 _A/N:_

 _Hey guys! Another chapter for you all! I hoped you liked it. From here on out, the three of them will slowly grow closer until the mature chapters come. Ill put an authors note in the beginning of those chapters for those who want to skip. Thank you to all who reviewed and read my story! Love hearing from you all!_

 _Till next time,_

 _-Shell_


	4. Bad Dreams lead to Worse News

_**Chapter 4: Bad dreams lead to worse news.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel.**_

 _Summer, 2012_

 _Fire._

 _It was everywhere. She couldn't get out, couldn't breathe. She was going to die. Michelle laid on the flood, her blood seeping from the wound to her shoulder, thinking how stupid she had been to trust Aaron. She should have trusted her gut. Instead, she had followed her stupid head. Now she was in the middle of a burning abandoned building, a gunshot wound to her shoulder. Stupid head. Stupid hot guys. Stupid her._

 _She coughed as the door was shoved open and more smoke surrounded her. As her vision darkened, the last thing she saw was a fireman, rushing to her side. He said something but she didn't hear. Couldn't. Her hearing was muffled so all she heard was the tone of his voice. She was vaguely aware of him throwing her over his shoulder and running out of the building. The smoke cleared and she saw wet pavement, firemen running around. The building collapsed seconds after they had cleared and muffled shouts surrounded her. She felt her back land on something soft, a mask put on her face and a woman talking to her, asking questions._

 _The light shinning into her eyes was annoying. She squinted against it and blinked. In the haze, she heard a woman's voice getting clearer._

" _Good girl. Blink for me again" Michelle did so. The woman praised her again. She was lifted into a bright area, the woman following. "Honey, If you can hear me, blink twice." Blinking twice, the woman smiled. "I need to ask you a few questions. Blink twice for yes, once for no. Ok?" She blinked twice again. Her hearing was slowly coming back but her sight was still darker than normal._

" _Are you in pain?" Two blinks followed by tears flowing from her eyes. "Are your eyes bothering you?" Two blinks. More tears. "Ok honey. Good job. Rest for a bit. You lost a lot of blood and have a lot of smoke damage. We are taking you to Miami Dade General Hospital. Is that ok?" Michelle was confused. Miami? But she lived in Vegas. Aaron must have drugged her and flown her to Miami. But why? To kill her? He did shoot her so probably but it still didn't makes sense. The paramedic saw her heart rate go up and her panic on her face._

" _Honey I need you to calm down ok? We are going to take good care of you. Don't worry."_

 _After that, michelle remembered the darkness getting heavier, blackness then waking up in a hospital bed, alone with machines beeping around her. The doctor came in, questioned her, and told her she would be fine but would need to stay for a few days. Then the cops came. They asked her about Aaron, how she knew him and why he would try to kill her._

 _She answered their questions to the best of her ability. She didn't know why she was in Miami, couldn't remember. According to the doctor, she had an injury on her head from something hitting her hard. Debris from the fire or even a deliberate blow to the head. She had short term memory loss of the last 48 hours. They said with time it could return, but it also could stay buried forever._

 _At that moment, she was lying in bed, watching the news in horror as New York was invaded by aliens. She caught her first sight of Steve on the tv. A hero. A good man. It was then she decided he deserved better than her. A stupid woman who had fallen in with an evil man and got burned. She didn't deserve him. Instead of waiting for her soulmates, she had tried to force it, tried to find love in the wrong places. And it had almost killed her._

Bucky woke with a start. The dream had been so real, as if he had been Michelle. Felt her pain and fear. She had been so alone and scared. He looked at her sleeping form, still curled up on the couch. He wondered if that was a real memory or just a dream. Lowering her shirt slightly on her right shoulder, he saw a faded scar consistent with a bullet hole. It had been real. She had been shot and left to die in a fire. His jaw clenched and he got to his feet pacing. Someone had hurt her. Someone she had trusted and it led to her feeling unworthy. Unworthy of being their soulmate. No wonder she had tried to avoid them. She had lost trust in men. He would have to make sure that he and Steve reaffirmed that faith.

Speaking of Steve, he was due back today. Quietly, Bucky left a note for michelle, set her alarm for another hour and went to his and Steve's floor. He stopped when he saw Steve, sitting on a stool in their kitchen, looking disturbed. Steve looked up at him with a grim face.

"We need to talk. While on our mission, I discovered a hidden room at the hydra facility. It was a room dedicated to Michelle. Pictures of her were littering the room. Birth records, dental impressions, medical charts. They had every placed she has ever lived and visited. Did you know she was admitted to a hospital in Miami after being found shot and left to die in a fire? She suffered memory loss and said her boyfriend at the time, Aaron DiCorda, had shot her and left her to die. He is Hydra." Bucky leaned on the counter, absorbing the news. This was bad. Very bad.

"They have been after her for a really long time. First they wanted to use her against us, then they decided to just kill her. The thing is, according to their records, Aaron didn't start the fire. He stated that when he shot her, her eyes glowed like fire and she let out a scream followed by a fire suddenly erupting around her. Even though the flames were touching her, she wasn't getting burned. And the hospital reports that she didn't suffer burns, but that she did have smoke inhalation. Buck, hydra wants our girl. They say she has powers and I don't know what to think. How can we keep her safe if we don't know what she is?"

"What she is, Steve, is our soulmate. That should matter most. She may not even be aware of that power. And this is Hydra Steve. They don't exactly tell the truth. Let's just have Bruce take some blood, and run it for abnormalities. In the meantime, we wine and dine our soulmate, make sure she feels loved and cared for. Show her that no matter what, we are going to be there for her. Ok?

"Your right. Ok, lets go…."

 _A/N: Hello all! Thank you so much for reading this story! We saw a bit of Michelle's back history in this chapter and answered the questions of why Bucky was dreaming of fire. Hope you all enjoyed it! I love hearing from you all! Thank you for the lovely reviews! The next chapter will be about Steve and Bucky doing whatever they can to earn her trust._

 _Till next time!_

 _-Shell_


	5. A Second First Kiss

_**Chapter 5: A Second First Kiss**_

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel. Just Michelle._

 _ **A few days later…**_

"Is this really necessary?"

Michelle sat on an examination table as Bruce took some blood and tony hovered nearby waiting to snatch it to test it.

"Yes. If you have a power, we need to learn about it and educate you on how to control it." Bruce finished gathering the blood and the minute he set it down, Stark grabbed it. "What brucie means is that we are curious as to why you set a building on fire!" He called over his shoulder as he walked over to the lab equipment to start working on figuring out what she was.

Michelle raised her eyebrow at Bruce but nodded and left to go back to work. As she was walking out, she heard Bruce chastise Tony for being insensitive…..again. Diving into the large piles in her office, she was so focused she didn't realize that it was already past lunch and she was starving. Her dog was sleeping at her feet with her cat in her perch by the window. Both looked at her, one with happiness and the other with annoyance. Scratching Lily behind her ears, she walked into her kitchen and began to make lunch when her phone let her know she had a message.

Bucky: " _Hey, up for movie night tonight?"_

Michelle: " _Sure. I could use a laugh"_

Bucky: _"What's wrong babe?"_

Michelle: _"Oh you know, new job, new apartment, going from single to double and now everyone knows I can create fire. Yay"_

Bucky: _"….good point. You know that Steve and I won't judge you because of your gift right?"_

Michelle: _"…..you mean curse? Setting fire to things isn't really a good thing. Besides, I can't control it. What if we are doing something….special….and I set fire to the room?"_

Steve: _"Then we purchase fireproof furniture and more extinguishers. It doesn't scare us Michelle."_

Michelle: _"It scares me."_

Bucky: _"Want us to come up now?"_

Michelle: _"No. I still have a few hours work left and if you come up it will never get done."_

Bucky: _"Exactly_ _"_

Steve: _"How about you text us when you're ready"_

Michelle: _"Sounds good."_

Michelle: _"Can you guys come take Lily for a walk? She is barking so loud I'm getting a headache."_

Steve: _"You got it"_

Michelle finished making her lunch and then went back to work. She was vaguely aware of Steve arriving to get Lily and then silence followed as she once again got into the groove of work. By the time she looked up from the pile, it was once again 7pm and she was starving. She had also several missed texts from both Bucky and Steve asking if she had gotten lost in her work and needed rescuing. She smiled and shot them a text to come down in 10 minutes. She locked up the important paperwork and closed down her computer before locking her office. Athena was asleep on the counter and Michelle took a moment to hug her and kiss her forehead.

10 minutes later the door opened and lily ran back into the apartment followed by Steve and Bucky who were holding Italian takeout. Michelle walked out of her bedroom dressed in yoga pants and a large oversized shirt with a tiger head on it. Her hair was up and in a ponytail and she wore her glasses.

"Oh man that smells amazing. Go ahead and get set up in front of the TV while I get drinks."

Bucky went to the couch while Steve went to help Michelle. He hugged her from behind and kissed her cheek. He could feel the tension in her shoulders and hugged her tighter.

"Baby, what's wrong?" He felt her sigh softly and she turned around.

"I'm just tired. I don't really like discussing my 'gift' and now everyone knows about it. I don't like having it and I never learned to control it because it terrified me. The only time I ever got close to controlling it was when my parents sent me to this school for gifted children for a week to stay with my aunt. She has a gift too and wanted me to stay to learn to control mine, but in the end, even though I loved it there, they said no and I went home. Never saw my aunt again after that. I heard she went evil and almost destroyed the world after she developed some sort of fire powers. That scared me since my gift is fire. What if I turn out like my aunt, who before her new powers, was a sweet and loving woman who was good?"

Steve looked into her eyes that were shining with unshed tears and cupped her face in his hands.

"You are not evil and never will be Michelle. You have a gift and we will help you control it no matter what. Bucky and I want a future with you and will do anything to make you happy. I know all this is new and technically we just met, but our bond is strong. Bucky and I already love you so much. Trust us with your heart Michelle. We won't hurt you."

Both stared in each other's eyes until Steve's dropped down to her lips and he leaned in. His lips met hers in a soft but passionate kiss as they explored each other's mouths. With Bucky, the first kiss had been explosive and full of danger and passion. Her first kiss with Steve was similar but different. Instead of an explosion of passion, it was deep desire that curled in her belly. His kiss was sweet and loving, yet had a hint of power and danger behind it as well. His arms surrounding her made her feel safe and loved, as if she hadn't just been afraid mere seconds ago.

When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. "I have wanted to kiss you for so long, even before we met. It was better than I ever dreamed it could be." He whispered and she smiled softly and whispered back, "Same for me too."

Suddenly a voice broke the sweet moment.

"I'm starving! Hurry up with those drinks punk…."

 _A/N: *Peaks around corner and nervously waves* Hey guys….. So sorry I haven't been around. Those personal problems I mentioned before got a lot worse and I lost my will to write for a while. Thank you for being patient. I hope you like this chapter and keep reading._

 _BuckyBarnes07: I'm so glad you are enjoying the story! Thank you for reviewing and I hope this chapter is a good comeback one!_

 _Olivia0707: Thank you so much!_

 _Angel897: I hope you liked this chapter! Thank you for reviewing!_

 _Thank you again to all who reviewed. I love hearing from you guys and it makes my days better than they have in a long time. Again if you have any suggestions I am open to listening to them! PM me or leave a review._

 _Till next time!_

 _-Shell_


	6. Name that Mutant

_A/N: Hello my readers! So I wanted to take a quick moment and thank you all for reading and those who left a review. I really appreciate your feedback and support. I was thinking of writing a one shot that shows how they found Michelle and got her to take the job. Let me know if that would be something you all would like to read!_

 _The X-Men will be in this chapter as I will slowly be integrating the two teams. In my world, Gene Gray never killed Professor X because I hated that part of the movie and have declared it null and void for my story._

 _Nameless Angel 00: Thank you! I was wondering if anyone would notice that. Yes, that was the plan at first. See while Bucky doesn't go out on missions yet, Steve does so Michelle and Bucky spend a lot more time together. Also, in my head, while Steve loves her and wants to help her, he can't help but feel a little apprehensive about her unknown abilities. Not that he thinks she is Hydra, but he doesn't want her or them to get hurt. He is just being that stupid Captain America cautious. Bucky doesn't care, so he is full in. This chapter will be about Steve and his feelings towards her powers and his progression towards fully accepting that._

 _Angel897: Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you stayed around and kept reading. Hope you enjoy this next chapter!_

 _Last thing, I recently suffered a loss and am trying really hard daily not to fall apart. So if my chapters are short or not up to par, I extremely apologize. I'm trying guys. My niece is also in danger of passing away. She was born a preemie baby and for the year and a half that has been her life, she has never seen the outside of a hospital. Now, unless they fix her esophagus, she will pass on. Please be patient. Please be understanding. I have no intention of abandoning this story at all. My life just seems to be one thing after another._

 _Now that I've effectively bored you all out of your minds with my pity party, let's get onto the story!_

 _Disclaimer: I own nothing that is Marvel. Only Michelle. SIGH_

 **Avengers Tower**

 **Michelle's Apartment**

Steve couldn't remember the name of the movie they were watching. He was lost in his own thoughts. His first thought was to look up this school that helped gifted children. If she had been there before, maybe they could figure out her powers better than Tony.

However, if her aunt had turned evil, would they even want to help her? Would they try to take her away?

Steve rubbed his hand over his face and let out a soft sigh. He had loved Michelle since her name had appeared on his skin, and he had vowed to love her and cherish her forever. He just hadn't taken into account that she might have a power as well. Now that he knew, he couldn't shake the apprehension.

He wanted to accept her fully, but he couldn't unless he knew what her power was. Is she dangerous? Could she hurt them unintentionally? If Hydra got their hands on her, would they use her for evil like her aunt?

He looked down at his soulmate snuggling against his side, one hand joined with Bucky's and the other grabbing his. She looked happy, content. He wanted to believe in her, to stop these doubts, to love her unconditionally and never think twice about her gifts. Bucky seemed to be able to. He had never once voiced any doubts. He even gave Steve a scathing look when they had talked earlier where Steve had been reluctant to accept her. If he knew what was going through his head, Bucky would probably punch Steve before taking Michelle away until he deemed that everyone was ok.

Bucky had told him about the landlord who had been leering at Michelle. Steve had seen the fury in Bucky's eyes as he talked about the landlord, then a sparkle when he told him about kissing Michelle and the explosion of love that had flown through him.

It was then that Steve realized….he was jealous of Bucky's ability to accept Michelle fully and the bond they shared because of it. He wanted that, but his mind wouldn't let him. Not yet.

Steve resolved to figure out a way to get over his unease as soon as possible. He wanted a good life with his soulmate. Nothing, not even his own thoughts, were going to stand in his way.

 **Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters**

 **Professor X's office**

"Logan, welcome back. I trust your travels were pleasant." Charles said as he wheeled his chair out from behind the desk. Logan grunted in affirmative and sat down in one of the plush chairs available.

"If by pleasant you mean unsuccessful then yeah. Very pleasant." He retorted sarcastically.

Charles sighed at his tone and stopped just before him. "Give it time Logan. Just because you can't find her at the moment doesn't mean she isn't alive. It just means it's not time to find her. The time is approaching. I feel her stronger than ever."

Logan groaned. "You and your cryptic shit. I need a beer."

 **Avengers Tower**

 **Bruce's Lab**

"Tony I said don't poke it with a stick! Its blood, not an animal! You'll contaminate it!" Bruce wailed as he tried to wrestle the stick from Tony's hand.

Tony let out a chuckle as he held the stick away from Bruce.

"How are we supposed to figure out what she is if we don't test everything?! Everything includes poking it with a stick." He said as though that was the most logical test to run first. Bruce wanted to yell in frustration at Tony's childish behavior.

"No that is not a viable test Tony. Now give me the stick before you ruin the sample!"

As the men wrestled, neither saw Black Widow at the table. Typing in a few commands, she began the analysis of the blood and watched as the results started to show. It was as she thought. Michelle had the mutant gene and her gift was tied to that.

"Great, now we can add mutant to our band of oddities." She mumbled before leaving. If Michelle was a mutant, then an old friend of hers would be able to tell them what type she was. She just hoped he wouldn't mind the late call. He did like to drink.

 **Xavier's School for the Gifted**

 **Logan's room**

Logan was going to kill whoever changed his ringtone to Happy Days. Smacking his hand over the offensive device, he answered the call with a growl.

"Well hello to you too" a sultry voice echoed out of the phone and Logan immediately softened.

"Well well, the spider has come out to play. Told you that you would call for that rendezvous. Your place or mine?"

There was a soft chuckle and he swore he heard someone stifling laughter before a muffled cry of pain was heard.

"I see you still enjoy beating up Clint." He said with a bark of laughter.

"Indeed, but that is for another time. I called because we recently found a mutant who is one of my friend's soulmate. She seems to be more powerful than any I've met before so I was hoping you could come down and tell us exactly what type she is."

"A good suggestion also would be helping her learn to control it. She just set fire to the sofa in her rooms Miss. Romanoff." Said a second female voice that sounded a bit robotic.

"Thanks FRIDAY. So, up for a trip to Avenger's tower? We have a fully stocked bar" She said the last part in a singsong type voice designed to make him comply.

Logan looked at the celling and groaned. He wanted to say no, but he had to go. That was part of his job.

"Fine Spider, I'll come out and take a look tomorrow. But I'm bringing Hank. He will be able to classify better than me. You owe me a drink….or several."

 **Avengers Tower**

 **Michelle's Apartment**

White foam covered the couch that had become the recent victim to Michelle's ability. With a groan, Michelle lowered the fire extinguisher and smiled nervously at her soulmates.

"Sorry, I got excited." She said with a blush.

Bucky was laughing hard at the turn of events as he looked at the ruined couch. Steve was more reserved but still cracked a small smile. A smile that had Michelle worried. He had been distant since their kiss and she could see the wariness in his eyes when he looked at the couch then her.

She hoped Steve wasn't going to abandon her too. If he left, Bucky would likely follow and once more she would be alone.

If he own soulmates couldn't accept her, who would?

 _ **A/N:**_

 _ **Ok guys! Hope you all enjoyed! Again, leave a review for me as I love them very much!**_

 _ **Till next time!**_

 _ **~Shell**_


	7. The Phoenix

Chapter 7: The Phoenix

Michelle sat at her desk deep in work tying to keep her mind off the conversation she had with Steve that morning. She had found him standing by the windows that morning and the conversation that followed still churned her stomach.

 _ **Flashback**_

 _Michelle exited her bedroom ready to begin a new day. While the fire accident last night had rattled her, Bucky had distracted both her and Steve by suggesting they play a card game together. She smiled as she thought of how Bucky had made her feel better._

 _She walked into the main living room and stopped. There stood Steve, by the windows looking pensive and closed off. "Steve?"_

 _He turned around and looked at her. She stepped closer to him. "Is everything ok?"_

 _He sighed and looked outside again. "I've been trying to decide something. Bucky and I have been waiting for you for a long time, and now that you're here, I feel elated. However, I also can't ignore that you have unchecked powers. Unchecked and untrained powers. That makes you dangerous to me, Bucky and this tower. I want to accept all of you, powers included. I don't care you have this power, I really don't so please don't think that is it. But we don't know where they came from. Were you born with it or were you given these powers when you were unknowingly with Hydra. And if you can't control it, then what if in trying to help someone you hurt them. I want to accept you, but I am the leader of this team and I have to think of everyone and not just myself. Michelle, I want to be with you. I really do. I just wish you would be more open to learning to control your abilities."_

 _Michelle stood there in shock, her worst fears coming true. Tears fell down her cheeks as she stared holes into the carpet._

" _You never asked me to control them until now. It's not that I'm not open to it, it's that I haven't had an opportunity to learn to control them. You assume that because I haven't yet that I don't want to. That isn't true. I want to control them. If I had a choice, I wouldn't even have them. But I don't have a choice. I haven't had any chance to learn what I am or how to control it. If you want me to learn, I will. If you want me to go, I will. I guess I'm confused. You said no matter what you would be here for me, that you didn't care about my power, and now your recounting that due to what? I set the couch on fire? Or is it because my ex-boyfriend used to be Hydra. I just wish you trusted me more, and I'm sorry you can't accept me for who I am."_

 _She walked to the coffee machine after finishing, not looking at him as she said, "I have to get to work, so if you don't mind, I think we should finish this later once both of us have had time to process."_

 _With that said she walked into her office and shut the door, refusing to look at him._

 _ **End Flashback**_

Now that time had passed and she had cooled down, she regretted her words. However, she was still hurt by his and didn't know how to move forward with this. She heard the elevator door open down the hall and checked the surveillance camera. Nat was walking down the hallway, followed by two men she had never thought she would see again and a stranger walking beside them. Getting up from her chair, she raced to the front door and pulled it open.

"Professor? What…? Hank? What…what are you doing here?"

Logan watched as the Professor wheeled up to her and she hugged him, then Hank. Finally, she turned to him.

"Michelle, this is Logan. He is a member of our team. Logan, this is Michelle, Gene's niece, the one we have been searching for."

Michelle held out her hand with a guarded smile and Logan shook it.

"Nice to meet you Logan," she said before turning to the professor, "But professor, I'm not sure I understand why you are here."

Nat walked to the professor's side and looked at Michelle.

"They are here to help you with your powers. I found out that you have the mutant gene and called Logan here, so they could come help you. I also worked it out with Tony, so you have the rest of the day off. We need you to work with them so you're not a threat anymore."

"Ms. Romanoff, I think we have this under control. I thank you for the escort, but perhaps this would be better if we could work in peace." Professor X said as he wheeled closer to Michelle. Nat studied him and then nodded, leaving the room.

Michelle looked at the professor, nervous.

"So…what am I?"

"You, my dear, are a Phoenix."

 _A/N: Ok guys! Here is the next chapter! Let me know how you like it by leaving a review. I really like hearing from you all._

 _Till next time,_

 _~Shell_


	8. The Aftermath

_**Steve's POV**_

Steve sat in his office on his floor, staring at his computer. He was supposed to be working, but he kept running Michelle's words through his mind. Did he just ruin his chance with his soulmate over her having powers? She was right, they hadn't ever talked about her controlling them before and he had accused her of being dangerous. He hoped Bucky never found out about that conversation because he would beat him for hurting Michelle. He noticed Bucky and Michelle had bonded over their pasts and Bucky never cared that she had powers. He accepted her inside and out. Steve admitted he was jealous of how close they were becoming while he was still hung up on her past.

Groaning, he put his head in his hands and tried to think of a way to get past his worries. His phone dinged, and he lifted his head up to check it. A text from Nat appeared saying she needed to talk to him. Two seconds later, the door opened, and she walked in.

"Nat, a bit more warning next time?"

"I sent you a text" she replied as if that was obviously enough time.

Steve groaned and wearily looked at her. "You said you needed to talk, so talk. What is going on?"

Nat studied him intently for a minute before leaning against the desk beside him. "I saw your argument this morning." Steve's head snapped up and he shot her a glare. "That was private Natasha. Why would you invade our privacy like that?"

"I'm worried about having someone like her unchecked in this tower. I'm sorry if your upset, but until she can control her abilities, I will be keeping an eye on her. However, that won't be much longer since I know what she is." Steve stood up and paced to the window. He was livid. Not only did Michelle feel Steve didn't trust and accept her, but if she ever found out that Nat was watching her, he feared Michelle would leave. He didn't want her to leave but he also understood Nat's worries. However, she would not be spying on his soulmate, danger or no.

"First of all, you will never spy on my soulmate again. If you do, I promise you will regret it. I'm not joking here Natasha. What you did, invading on something so private, its bordering unforgiveable. Never again Nat. Second, what do you mean you know what she is. Bruce would have called me if he found anything."

Natasha looked at Steve with her trademark expressionless face, but behind it, she was shocked. She knew he didn't quite trust Michelle with her powers, the whole argument had been surrounded around her inability to control them. But when she had told him of her plan to keep an eye on her, he had reacted exactly opposite from what she expected. However, now that she thought about it, she could see how she had overstepped by spying on their soulmate. She was still a bit worried but decided to step back unless asked.

"Alright Steve. Unless you ask, I will leave her alone." Steve nodded his head in thanks as she moved on to the second issue. "As for what she is, I suspected she might have the mutant gene, so I used Bruce's computer while he was distracted with Tony. She tested positive for the gene, so I called in a favor from an old acquaintance. He and a few other mutants arrived today and are with Michelle right now working on teaching her how to control her abilities. They can be trusted, I promise. If I found my soulmate and he was a mutant, I would trust these people with him."

Steve was shocked. He sat back down and let out a groan. Now that he knew Michelle was a mutant, he was frustrated with himself and his words to her that morning. She wasn't dangerous or Hydra, she was his soulmate and had powers that had never been trained. He knew mutants were still prosecuted to this day and many didn't get the proper training. He was worried he had screwed up his chance with her. He decided after he was done with work, he would put something together to apologize to her.

Thanking Natasha for letting him know, he left the room quietly to fill Bucky in. Asking FRIDAY for his location, she let Steve know Bucky was in the gym. He rode the elevator down and saw Bucky lifting weights.

"Hey Buck, we need to talk." Steve said as he stopped beside him. Bucky finished his set and sat up. "I agree. I'm not ok with how you have been treating Michelle lately. She has powers but treating her as if she is dangerous and making her feel bad for accidentally setting the couch on fire is not ok. You need to have a serious attitude change or I won't let you near her. I'm not jeopardizing my chance with her over your inability to move past her powers."

Steve sighed and sat down opposite him. "Buck, I messed up. I promise I'll fix it as soon as I can. I plan on doing something special very soon to apologize for how I've been acting and show her we can make this work, ok?" Bucky looked at him before giving a short nod. "Alright, I'll hold you to that. Now, what did you want to talk about?"

"Natasha found out that Michelle is a mutant. She was born with these powers, Hydra didn't give them to her so-"

"Wait, you thought Hydra gave these powers to her? That's why you were so distant?" Bucky said with disbelief. "It was part of the reason. If Hydra had given her them, there was a chance she could be a sleeper agent."

"So, your fine with me and what Hydra did to me, but the first thing that crosses your mind when our soulmate has powers is sleeper agent? Jeez Steve, what the hell is the matter with you? I may not remember much from before Hydra, but I do remember you were a lot more accepting. You used to say that when we met our soulmate, if anyone hurt her you would beat them to hell. Now? You're the one who's hurting her. You're the one who is making her unhappy. I barely recognize you anymore." Bucky stood and walked out of the room. Steve groaned again and punched the wall in frustration. Why couldn't he do anything right by his soulmates anymore?

 _ **Bucky's POV**_

Storming down the hall towards the elevator, Bucky was furious. He didn't know who the hell his best friend had turned into these days. He was suspicious, paranoid and distrustful. She was their soulmate for god's sakes! How could he think she was Hydra! Punching the button for the elevator, Bucky growled as he waited for the doors to open. He needed to find Michelle. If he saw her maybe the Soldier wouldn't come out like he normally did when Bucky got angry. The doors opened, and he stalked inside, asking Friday to take him to Michelle's flood. He could feel the Soldier pacing in his mind, demanding release on Steve for hurting Michelle. Bucky was a bit surprised the Soldier wanted to protect Michelle.

 _Of course I want to protect her._

The Soldier, almost to the surface, said as Bucky held his head. Pain shot through his skull as he worked to keep the asset at bay. The doors opened, and he stumbled down the hallway. Right before he reached the door, the pain in his head spiked and he let out a cry before collapsing unconscious.

 _ **Michelle's POV**_

Frustrated, Michelle watched as Logan put out another fire she had created. She put her head in her hands and sighed. Professor X wheeled up next to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"You are doing well dear. When you visited your Aunt Gene, I told her you had a gift. I knew you were special, however, your parents refused tell you about it. They wanted you to grow up normal, or as normal as possible. Gene tried to tell them that you would be safer at the school, but your parents didn't listen. I think it was hard for them to accept, especially after your aunt's turn. When they died, Logan and I tried to find you, but somehow you were blocked from my sight. I'm sorry we didn't succeed sooner."

She smiled softly at him. "Its fine. Honestly, after everything, I just got used to having horrible luck. I thought it had turned around when I met Steve and Bucky, but I was foolish. I should have known it would fall apart. Steve's scared of me, Natasha doesn't trust me, and once it gets out that my aunt went crazy with this same power, I'll be sent away."

"I do not believe they would send you away Michelle. But, in the unlikely case they do, you always have a home at my school. I promise we will not abandon you."

She went to say something but suddenly the Professor looked towards the front door of her apartment in worry. "Logan, the door. Hurry."

 _ **A/N: Hey All! So, I finally updated! Yay! Please review as I really want to see what you all think of the latest chapter!**_

 _ **Till then,**_

 _ **~Shell**_


	9. Human

_**Michelle's POV**_

The clock on the wall ticked by slowly as Michelle sat beside Bucky in her bedroom. He hadn't woken up since they found him unconscious in the hallway and brought him to her bed. She took his hand in hers and dabbed a cold cloth against his forehead. She was worried about him and who would be there as Professor X said he heard someone called the Asset trying to break through Bucky's mind. She knew he still battled with the conditioning Hydra put in his head, but she wasn't sure what brought out the other side of him.

Professor X had stated they were done for the day, so Logan and Hank had left to the guest floor to settle in. Hank would be leaving in a week to return to the school, but Logan and the Professor planned to stay until Michelle could fully control her abilities and learned more about mutant history. She would be juggling work and classes together for a while, so she needed Bucky to get better. She wouldn't be able to focus while he was in this state, her worry would make learning and working impossible. The Professor was in her kitchen, making tea for them. She had offered to do it for him, but he had insisted she stay with her soulmate.

The door opened, and she watched as the Professor wheeled in with a tray of tea and cookies from her cabinet. There were three cups on the tray, but before she could ask, Steve followed him into the room. She tensed and looked at him before turning back to Bucky and doubling her effort to keep his skin cool. Steve stepped up beside her and looked down worriedly at Bucky.

"What happened?" Steve asked to no one in particular. Michelle went to answer but thankfully, the Professor beat her to the punch.

"From what I could pick up, someone named the Asset was trying to break through Bucky's mind. Bucky was extremely angry and in trying to keep this Asset at bay, was rendered unconscious from the pain." Michelle saw a flash of guilt on Steve's face before it went back to worried and her eyes narrowed slightly. Steve glanced at her before turning back to the Professor. "You said you could tell that side of him was trying to break through. How?"

"I have the ability to look into people's minds, read their thoughts, even control them for a bit. I use this gift to help others, mutants and humans alike. I also can go into a person's memory and change it. Your friend has severe damage to his brain, and from what I've gleaned from my brief glace, he is in constant war within his mind."

Steve sat beside Bucky and looked at Michelle who was softly dabbing Bucky's forehead with a damp cloth. She looked pale, exhausted and tense. He reached over and put his hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump. Pulling back, he felt more guilt over the surprised and wary look on her face.

"You look tired. I can stay with him if you want to lay down. I need to talk to you, but not while you look half asleep. I want you to be fully awake when I apologize for being a jerk." Her eyes widened in shock at his pronouncement before she nodded softly and laid down next to Bucky. She was asleep within seconds.

 _ **Steve's POV**_

Steve looked down at her and felt affection swell within his chest. She was so innocent in many ways, and yet had been through unimaginable horrors in her life. How could he even begin to apologize for his actions? How could he apologize to Bucky for bringing the Asset back to the forefront? He felt unimaginable shame for his actions of late and bowed his head.

A hand suddenly appeared on his shoulder and he looked over to see the Professor next to him, looking at him with kindness.

"You are a man, Steve. Many believe you are above the trials humans face because of your persona and you strive to achieve this. Its commendable, but its also impossible. Your still human Steve and humans make mistakes. They have fears, worries and trials, but they also have love, happiness and hope. You love them both and they love you. You let fear rule your actions, which is a very human thing to do, and that's ok. Now comes the other part of being human, showing how much you regret that moment of letting your fear rule. You do everything to show how much you want to start a life with your recently found soulmate. You do everything to show how much you regret yelling at your best friend and soulmate. Your human Steve and as humans we make mistakes. You don't need to be perfect, you just need to try your best to be Steven Grant Rodgers, because at the end of the day its Steve who they see, not Captain America."

Steve wiped at the tears that were falling down his cheeks as he looked down at Michelle and Bucky sleeping. "Thank you, Professor, truly. I know what I need to do, for them both."

The Professor chucked. "I know, and I would do the same. Also, since I will be here for a while, please call me Charles. All of my friends do, and I would be honored to consider you a friend Captain Rodgers."

"As would I Charles, so please call me Steve. So, you're staying to train Michelle with her abilities. May I ask what type of- "

"She is a Phoenix. A rare and beautiful gift of healing with a wonderous and powerful gift of the fire element. She is very powerful and beautiful. Not many mutants have two abilities, which makes her unique."

Steve brushed away her hair from her face and kissed her cheek softly. "I'll make it up to you Michelle, my beautiful soulmate. My Phoenix."


	10. Forgive Me? Part 1

**Bucky's POV:**

Bucky woke up with the biggest headache he'd felt in a long while. Groaning, he slowly raised his hand up towards his head and tried to rub away the pain. It took him a moment to focus on his surroundings, but when he did he noticed he was lying on something very soft, most likely a bed.

He remembered being in the hallway outside of Michelle's apartment when he blacked out, so she must have moved him inside. As he became more and more aware, he also noticed he wasn't alone. Opening his eyes, he blinked a few times to adjust to the light and then looked over.

Beside him was Michelle, lying in bed next to him on top of the covers, fast asleep. Her hair had fallen across her face and her soft breathing was blowing it gently. He smiled softly and reached over, pushing the fallen hair out of her face so he could see her. Bucky could have laid there forever watching her, but he knew he had things to do. Mainly find Steve and see if he was ready to listen.

Finally looking around the room, he noticed a chair off to the side facing the bed and an empty glass on the night stand. Lily was lying next to the chair and Athena was perched in her tower by the window. he heard sounds coming from what sounded like the kitchen and the smell of food wafting into the room. If his memory served, someone was making garlic bread. Sitting up, he got out of bed and walked to the door.

Stealing a final glance at Michelle, he saw lily jump up into the bed and snuggle beside his soulmate. He grinned softly at the sight. "Good girl. Watch over her for me for a bit ok?" he whispered before leaving the room and walking out to the kitchen where he saw Steve standing at the stove stirring what looked like spaghetti sauce in a pot. Glancing at the microwave, he realized it was 7 in the evening

"I haven't seen you cook in a long time." Bucky quietly stated. Steve turned around sharply, and his eyes went wide and a nervous look took over his face as he glanced away.

"Yeah well, I haven't really had the urge until tonight. I figured dinner would be a good start to groveling for your forgiveness. Michelle's will take more than dinner, I know that, but I figured the way to your heart is your stomach. Always has been." Steve said quietly, barely making eye contact with Bucky.

"My forgiveness? Why do you need my forgiveness? I mean, yeah you were out of line downstairs, but you realize that so focus on Michelle…. however, don't stop cooking that dinner. I want it."

A small smile formed on Steve's face before it turned into a frown again. "I caused the other one to come out. You should be furious at me for causing you that pain and releasing him. I knew that he wasn't gone, that you could revert, but I never thought I would be the one to bring him out. I was out of line Buck. I hurt you and her, something I swore I would never do."

Bucky watched as Steve turned and got back to cooking, his face forlorn and movements slow. Coming around the counter, Bucky put a hand on Steve's shoulder. "Steve, he didn't come out. He tried, but I wasn't having it." He could see Steve didn't believe him and squeezed his shoulder slightly.

"Yes, I passed out from the pain, but he never broke through. Trust me, if he had, we wouldn't be talking right now. We would be fighting since he was pissed off. I'm fine and ready to put this whole thing behind us. So please, don't beat yourself up over this. You need to focus on getting Michelle to forgive you. I promise that you and I are good, so long as you do right by Michelle."

"I will Buck. Promise." Steve said before pulling him into a hug.

 **Michelle's POV:**

Opening her eyes, Michelle felt a weariness that rivaled any before. So much had happened within a short period of time. New job, new home, soulmates, finding out she was a mutant and to top it all off, Steve didn't want her. He didn't trust her and had stated she was dangerous. More than anything, that hurt the worst.

She sighed and sat up, rubbing her face with her hands and looked over to where Bucky had been laying down. Eyebrows furrowing, she looked not at Bucky, but at a sleeping Lily, who was lying on her back with her paws in the air and was probably dreaming about running since her paws were moving back and forth.

Smiling, she softly got out of bed and walked to the bathroom. Turning on the light, she looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. Her hair was a tangle of matted knots, her eyes tired and dull, and bags were forming under her eyes. She grimaced at her appearance before starting the shower. Peeling off her clothes, she got under the spray of the hot water and closed her eyes.

 _Maybe I should just leave. All I do is cause trouble between them._ She thought as the water pounded the tense muscles on her back.

 **Steve's POV:**

Steve and Bucky were both working on dinner when they heard the shower start from the other room. Bucky looked over at Steve and nodded his head towards the door. Nodding back, he walked over to the bedroom door and walked inside. A smile formed on his face at seeing the dog in bed before he walked over to the bathroom door.

He knocked on the door and called out to Michelle. There was a long pause before she answered, and he walked in. He noticed her outline through the curtain and blushed deep looking at the ground. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

"I-I'm ok. A little tired but I'll be fine." Was her soft response. He could tell she was more than a little tired and could practically feel the tenseness in her voice. "Michelle, I'm so sorry for what I said. I was out of line and cruel. I don't think before I act sometimes and that was most definitely one of those times. I really want to get to know you better and start a life with you."

"I know your upset with me, and you have every right to be. But I hope with time, you can find a way to forgive me for my stupidity. Doll, I've been waiting to meet you ever since I could remember. So much has happened to all of us and I let my fears hurt you. I will never be able to express how much I regret that and how sorry I truly am."

Steve looked up and noticed her outline was lower, as if she was sitting on the floor of the tub, and her breathing was hitching softly. To his surprise, he realized she was crying softly. Moving forward on instinct, he grabbed a towel, opened the curtain and turned off the water. Reaching down, he picked Michelle up off the tub floor and avoided her naked body while he wrapped her up in the towel.

Once he was sure she was covered, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her into the bedroom. He could hear her soft sobs muffled as she pushed her face into his chest. Each sob, each tear broke his heart even more as he sat on the bed and rocked her back and forth making soft calming noises and softly whispering he was sorry.

Neither of them noticed when Bucky walked in to investigate where they were. Nor did they see the shocked face when he saw her dripping wet and only covered in a towel, in Steve's lap, crying while Steve comforted her and whispered things into her ear.

 **Michelle's POV:**

How long they stayed like that, none of them knew, but eventually her tears subsided, and she lifted her face from Steve's chest. Her face was bright red as she realized she was only covered in a towel and had sobbed all over Steve's shirt. Some of her makeup had stained his white tee and she bit her lip ashamed. "Your shirts all wet." She said softly before going to get off his lap, however found she was pinned in place by Steve's arms.

She looked up at him and found he was looking intensely into her eyes. Freezing, she just looked back up into his and saw emotions swirling within their baby blue depths. She saw him contemplating something and was captivated by his gaze. Steve started to lean forward, his lips growing closer to hers as each second passed. Just as their lips were about to connect, a loud buzzer sounded startling both and causing her to topple off Steve's lap and to the floor.

Loud laughter sounded from the doorway and both Steve and Michelle looked up to see Bucky standing in the doorway, smiling at them and losing his mind laughing at the turn of events. Walking over and giving her his best panty dropping smirk, which was ironic since she wasn't wearing any, he helped her stand up and let his eyes rove over her. "I gotta say Doll, your wet towel look is fantastic."

Her mouth dropped open and her cheeks burned again as she fumbled for something to say back, but all she could come up with was one word. "T-thanks?"

 _Wow, that was so lame. Come on Michelle. Seriously? Thanks?_ She thought to herself as his grin grew wider and she ducked into her closet and shut the door. She could hear a smack and Bucky's cry of surprise. She dressed quickly and brushed out her damp hair as she heard soft talking outside.

She heard a soft knock on the door and then Steve told her to come out to the kitchen when she was finished as dinner was ready. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and saw Bucky sitting on the bed waiting for her. She walked up to him and his head raised up, so he could search her face.

"How are you feeling? You gave us quite a scare." She said softly, reaching up to brush some of his long hair behind his ear and cupping his cheek. His eyes fell closed and he nuzzled her hand as he took a moment before answering.

"I will be ok. I hate when he tries to come out, when he fights so hard I black out, but if it caused you and Steve to work things out, I won't complain. I know you may not forgive him right away, I wouldn't if he had said those things to me. but I promise you he really does want you to be here, he really wants to start a life with you. We both do, and I personally would be devastated if anything jeopardized that."

She looked down at him and sighed. _So would I, but if it comes to the point where your friendship is ending because of me, I wont stay._ She thought before grabbing his hand and pulling him to his feet. They headed towards the kitchen, stomachs growling for food, and for once, no one was arguing.

A/N: Hey guys. So I'm looking for a beta to help me with this story. I have so many ideas but would love some help. If you're interested, message me. I saw Infinity War last night and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Let me know in the comments your thoughts on the movie! Good? Bad? Disappointed? Just no spoilers please. If you want to talk in detail about it, PM me. 😊

Till next time!

~Shell


	11. Forgive me? Part 2

**Michelle's POV:**

A week had passed since the incident and life had gone back to normal. Bucky would still hang around her apartment while she worked to keep her company. Steve and her relationship was still rocky, but they were slowly moving forward. She still was hurt by his words, and continued to watch his and Bucky's relationship to see if she was causing more damage. However, she was almost surprised to find that they were still going strong.

She was currently working on a large project for Pepper and was getting frustrated. The paperwork was not coming out right and she couldn't find the problem no matter how many times she reviewed it. Letting out a frustrated growl, she closed her eyes and took a calming breath. She needed to get her temper down or else the computer would catch fire.

She didn't hear Steve enter the apartment or walk up to her door, but when she opened her eyes, he was leaning on the door looking at her concerned.

"Nothing's on fire. I promise I'm breathing like the professor taught me." She said with a small chuckle, causing a small smile to appear on Steve's face. He took a deep breath and pushed off, walking over to her. Holding out his hand for her to take, she looked at it shocked before grabbing it and letting out a small cry when he pulled her to her feet.

"Steve, what-"

"You need a break, and I have something to show you. Come on, it will help you clear your mind."

She looked into his eyes and saw he was nervous, so she nodded and let him lead her from the room. Riding the elevator down to the garage, she started to get nervous when he handed her his jacket and climbed onto the bike. "A-A motorcycle? You want me to get on that?" She said with a small wobble in her voice. Steve took her hand and drew her close. "I won't let you get hurt, Doll. Promise"

She swallowed her fear and got onto the back of the bike. Putting on the helmet he handed her, she wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled herself so she was pressed tightly against him. "Hold on" was said before the bike roared to life and she felt them shooting forward and out of the garage. Letting out a shriek, she squeezed his waist tighter and pressed her face into his jacket. She felt rather than heard his chuckle as he drove them down the busy streets of New York. Time seemed to move slowly as she focused on keeping calm and she swore they had been driving for hours when his bike came to a stop and she felt him caressing her arms. Bringing her head up, she saw they were at central park near the pond. Turning to face Steve, she saw he was grinning at her as he motioned for her to exit the death trap of terror.

Stumbling off the bike she took a moment to get her balance back. She probably looked so embarrassing right now stumbling off a bike with a hot guy following all cool like. Geez, cue the cliché for the nerdy woman with a hot guy scenario. Shaking her head as 1950's romantic movie music sang in her head, she grumbled before pulling off the helmet and looking up. Several guys in a group were watching her with smiles on their faces, very clearly checking her out. In her black lace top, skinny jeans and high heeled black snake skin boots, she was hot. Not that she saw herself that way. To her, she was ugly and fat. Ah, another cliché. Cue more music.

Steve walked up beside her and glared at the lusting men, who upon seeing him, scattered in seconds. Taking her hand, he led her into the park and towards a clearing beside the pond. In the clearing on the ground was a picnic set up with drinks, food and music. Her face morphed into a grin as she took everything in. Hearing a bark, she looked farther towards the pond and saw Lily running around playing with Bucky. He looked up at them and waved before throwing a ball for Lily again.

"Steve, this is amazing! I- I've never been on a picnic before." She said turning to face him and smiling. He pulled her close with a smile on his face as he looked down with clear affection in his eyes. "I wanted to do something special for you. I screwed up Michelle, big time. This is just another step towards earning your forgiveness. So let's spend the rest of today having fun and relaxing. Also, Pepper told me to tell you she wants you to take the rest of the day and tomorrow off. A three and a half day weekend to relax, destress and clear your mind. What do you say?"

She was stunned and just stared at him for a moment. After a moment of silence, she relaxed and took a chance. She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his lips. It was quick but it conveyed a lot. Her agreement, her appreciation for everything he was doing, and last, but most importantly, her forgiveness. Pulling back she smiled at his stunned expression.

"I forgive you." She whispered softly before turning to hug Lily who was running towards her.

She didn't notice Steve looking down at her with tears in his eyes, or Bucky walking towards them with a smile.

All she knew was it was going to be a great weekend.

 _ **A/N: I LIVE!**_

 _ **I am so sorry to my readers! I lost inspiration for this story and it took me a while before I could find it again. But I hope to continue to update as much and as often as I can for you guys!**_

 _ **Thank you guys so much for your amazing reviews. They really gave me the final boost I needed to write again.**_

 _ **Till next time!**_

 _ **~Shell**_


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